Bottle-filler.



H. O. FISHER.

BOTTLE FILLER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, 1911.

Patenfed Aug. 20, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 H. 0. PISEER.

BOTTLE FILLER.

APPLICATION PILED APR. 28, 1911.

Patentfld Aug. 20, 1912.

3 BHEETB-BHEET 2 p v HOMER 0. II$HER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BOTTLE-FILLER.

till whom concern 7 Be it known that I, HOMER O. FISHER, a

citizen oft-he United States, residing at (1hicago5'idthecoiinty of Cook and State of Illinois have invented-certain new and use 'ful' Improvements in Bottle-Fillers, of which thefollowing is-a specification. This -'nvention relates to bottle fillers and refers more particularly to an improved valve construction for bottle fillers.

,Gneof the objects of the invention is to provides valve which will positively regulate the level of the fluid supplied to the bottle, onelwhich will keep the bottle from being filled too-Efull and prevent any waste of the fiuid. V v I Another object is generally to improve the construction of the type ofjvalve which is used for-filling wide'inouthed bottles, such as milkhottles. I

Inthe accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a frag'nientalfside elevation of a bottlefilling machine equipped with a valve em-.

bodyingfiny. invention. Fig. 2 is a longitu dinalse'ctio-nal view through the valve end; a portion of the tank, and showing the valve open. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the lower portion of the valve parts in this posit-ion, the check valve being r'ali'ty of valves embodying ;my -invemmn? adapted to supply rnilk-rto a-single row for; the: entirev number of x bottlefs', as desired, "in? th-ihhseb: Glue-of the ralves: illustratetl closed. Fig. 4 isafragiiientai'y plan view of the tank and. the: valve. Fig. 5 is a sectional view through thedoiver portion of the valve structure takenzin the plane of line 55 of Fig: Fig. 6.18. a view of the lower end ofthe check'valve'head.

The bottle-filling machine to which my invention is applied may be of any suitable construction, -.being'-herein shown as comprising a supporting-frame 10 having a"tank 11 in itsupper portion adapted to contain a quantity. of milk or other fluid.v Vertically slidable 'inthe frame 10 is a platform 12 adapted to support one or more bottles a or a case I) of bottles." Theplatiorni "12 may beinoved'sin anyrcomlnonior prefer-red way.) asi-by means-1 o-tva hand rl'evers-l connected said. platform": through "thew nedininiwi link .- The tank- II-rnaybe provided. with a phi? in Fig. 2 and comprises a tube 15 lza' 'ng its Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 28,1911.

awash the; partsfot- ,the'ava pi pe- 246 andheadfifihave; een removed -'-the sleeve 2 1.9 landuspring LOuha-Yyloe withdrawn iti'onrtlie-millotube; 15 so tha.t=.all-f:ot,:the-.parts 1.

Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

Serial. No. 623,812.

upper end. rigidly secured in the lower wall 16 'of the tank 11 in any suitable way. Herein have shown the upper end of the tube 15 fitting within an annular nut or'bushing .17 which is threaded. in an opening 18 in the lower Wall 16 of the tank 11.

Surrounding the tube 1.5 and slidable thereupon 1s a sleeve 19, which sleeve is nornially pressed downwardly by a coiled spring 20 surrounding said sleeve and the openings 23 formed in the side walls of said tube near its lower end. The flow of milk through said openingsis controlled by the sleeve 19 which is adapted to blank or close said openings. "The-lower end 15 of the filling tube beneath the openings 23 constitutes a liquid-displacing body which is normallytelescoped into the sleeve 19, the purpose of which will be later described.

The air in the bottle a escapes through a vent pipe 24 positioned within the milk tube 15 and extending upwardly through the tank 11 to a pointabove the level of the milk therein. The lower end of the vent pipe 24- has a hollow head 25 fixed thereon, which head is arranged to close the lower end of theniilk tube 15, a fluid tight joint being formed between said head and said tube by a gasket 26. The head 25 is normally held in position to close the tube 15 by means of leaf springs 27 fixed to the ventpipe 2 1 within the tank 11, the lower diverging portions of said leaf 3 springs being a-daptedto rest upon an annular shoulder 28 Wl1lClf1i lS fO11Il(l by the upper end of the andinern it' the 11 death-Be t temt e-yen inay be cleansed.

idow rw arcllv. out

The head 25 has a chamber30 therein communicating with the vent pi e 24, said p tank .11. Then, when the bottle was loweredaway,from the valve, all of the milk headjhaving a pluralityof openings 31' extending from said chamber t6 h sn-rface of the head, Within the chamber- 30 is a member 32 of-specific gravity less than the liquid "to be bottled, preferably a wooden ball, which I forms a check valve adapted'to close-the lower end of the vent ie 24 when the milk rises to a height in the bottle suflicient to float the ball 32, as shown in Fig. 3.

The operation of my improved filler is as follows Relative movement to open the valve ma be had either by raising the bottles a or y lowering the tank 11, as will be readily understood. Herein I have shown means for raising the bottles a, and when one of these bottles \comes in contact with the closure 22the sleeve 19 is slid upwardly along the milk tube 15 to uncover-the outlet openings 23 and permit milk to descend from the tank 11 through the tube 15 and;

7 into the bottle a. As W1ll be seen, the milk escaping from the openings 23 comes in contact with the side walls of the bottle a and follows said walls downwardly so that the milk. flows into the bottle quietly and substantially without frothing. The air in the bottle displaced by theincoming milk escapes through the vent pipe 24. When the milk in the bottle rises to a suflicient height to float the ball or valve member 32, said 'ball rises upon the surface of the milk and is carried into position. to close the lower end of the vent pipe 24 and thus prevent milk from rising in said vent pipe. In this position of the valve 32, air cannot escape through the vent pipe, and as the milk con: tinues flowing in through the openings 23 'the air bubbles-up through the tube 15 and escapes from the surface of the milk in'the' tank 11. When the level of the milk has risen to the oint indicated in Fig.3, the inflow of mil will cease: The bottle may now be lowered by the operator, the sleeve 19 following the bottle downwardly and blanking the openings 23. Durin the time the sleeve 19 is thus blanking sai openings 23 a suflicient quantity of milk enters the bottle through said openings to raise the level of the liquld from that shown in Fig. 3,

ne rly to the top of the bottle, the milk sub- 1 'si ing to the desired or 'predetermined hei ht in the bottle to .take. t e place occupie by the lower portion of the valve struc-' tu're after the bottle has been fully withdrawn away from the valve.

As will be seen, the check valve structure 2532 serves to positively prevent milk from rising in the vent pipe 24-. In previous' constructions, unless the bottle were withdrawn at the pro er time when the desired amount of milk as been filled therein. the milk would rise in the vent. pipe 24 to a greater or less1h e' ht and finally, if permitted, to the level 0 the liquid in the in the vent pipe 24 wouldflow into the.bot-

'tle and perhaps fill ittoa higher level than desirable, or cause a wasteof the milk'after the bottle is withdrawn, My invention entirely obviates this difliculty.

"The arts of the valve are easily disassembled when it .is desired to clean said parts, by merely pressing together the lower ends of the leaf springs 27 when all of the removable parts may be withdrawn from the tank.

-In milk-bottle filling valves as heretofore constructed, the flow of milkhas not been shut off until about the moment when the valt'e parts reached the initial position. When it is remembered that the inflow of milk continues while the bottle and the valve are being separated, it will be seen that, with the prior construction just referred to, filling of the bottle to an excessive height could only be prevented by constructing'the parts below the mouth-contacting member or stopper relatively large so as to displace a considerable quantity of milk, and thus make room for the milk that will descend into the bottle from the vent pipe.- In filling cased bottles, it frequently happens that the bottles in a given case arenot filled uni;

'formly, and in such event the'operator returns the case of bottles into fillin relation' with the valves. When properlylled bottles are'so returned to valves of the prior construct-ion above alluded to, the parts'be low the mouth-contacting member dis lace someof the milk. The milk thus disp seed is not only wasted, but also necessitates the rinsing of the exteriors of the bottles after the latter have been capped. I obviate these difiiculties by constructing the valve so that the arts below the stopper, when in initial position, are of little volume and displace but little milk; and also by forming the outlet openings 23 at some distance above the lower-endof'the tube 15, so that the portion of the mil-k tube below said opening forms a milk-displacing bodv, which remains in its posigon in the mi k subsequent to the closing of-the opening 23 in the downward movement of the sleeve 19. Thus after the bottle has been originally filled,'las'the bottle is withdrawn from the valve the openings 23 are first closed and then ,the said milk-displacing body is telescoped into the sleeve 19, leavin only the 'filled will be closed by the closure 22 at a time when only the chambered head 25 projet-ts into; themilk, said. head dis 'ilacing only a little niilkand not enough tooverflow the bottle. the bottles are raised farther the sleeve 19 is carried up to un- C(WlitllGdOWQl' portion of the tube and finally open the outlet openings 23 to let milkfiow into those of the bottles which are not already'filled. As before explained, when the bottles are withdrawntrom the valve, the milk thereinsubsides to the. de sired height, the flow of milk having been cut oil before the lower end of the tube 15 is telescoped into the sleeve 19.

Iclaim as my invention; i

1 A valve structure for bottle-fillers, comprising a filling tube, a chambered head closing the lower end of said tube, a vent pipe within said tube and having its lower end mounted in said head, a buoyant ball arranged to close the lower end of said vent pipe, said'filllng tube having outlet openings in its side at a distance above its lower end, and a sleeve slidable on said tube and arranged to close said outlet openings, the

portion of said tube below said outlet openings forming'a liquid-displacing body which is normally telescoped into said sleeve, said.

head being of a volume to displace only 'a relatively small volume of milk.

2. in a valve structure for bottle fillers,

the combination of a filling tube; means 111-.

eluding a sleeve 'slidable on said tube for controlling the discharge of liquid therefrom; a portion at the lower end of said tube and beneath the point of discharge there from, said portion constituting a liquid displacing body and being normally telescoped into'said sleeve; a vent pipe within said tube, and a floatalde valve member arranged to be raised by the liquid in the bottle to close the lower end of said vent pipe and prevent the entrance of any liquid into said pipe. 23. A valve structure for bottle fillers comprising a filling tube, a vent pipe within said tube, a chambered head with which the lower end of said pipe communicates, said head during use being fixed to said lower end ot the vent pipe and being permanently held in position to close the lower end of said filling tube, said head and vent pipe being removable for cleaning purposes from the filling tube, the latter having an outlet opening in its side. means controlling the flow of liquid through said outlet opening. and a. valve member within said head and movable by the rising liquid in the bottle into position to close the lower end of said vent pipe and prevent the entrance of liquid into said vent pipe.

In a valve structure for bottle tillers, the combination of a filling tube; n1 including a sleeve slidable on said tuoe tor vcontrolling the discharge of liquid therefrom; a portion at the lower end of said tube and beneath the 'pointof discharge tbcrel'roin, said portionconstituting a liquid-displacing body, and being normally tclescoped into said sleeve; a'vent pipe \Vllllin said filling tube; a member belinv said portion, said member being ,ot'a 'voluineflto displace only a relatiwly s nall qua1itity of milk; and a valve carried by said ,niember saidvalve being arranged to be floated upwardly bythe rising liquid ,in the bottle to cut ol' comnninication between the bottle and the lowerend of said vent pipe and prevent the entrance of any liquid in said vent pipe.

o. A valve structure for bottle fillers com-- prising a filling tube having openings in its wall near the lower end of the tube, a sleeve slidable on said tube and arranged to close said'opeiiings, a vent pipe within said tube, a head permanently held in position to close the lower end of said filling tube, the portion of? said tube beneath said openings constituting a liquid displacing body which is normally telescoped into said sleeve, said head in its normal position projecting beyond said sleeve-and being of a volume to displace only a small quantity of liquid, and a buoyant valve member supported by said head and arranged-to be raised by the rising liquid in the bottle into position to cut off communication between the interior of the bottle and the lower end of said,ventpipe to prevent the entrance of any liquid into said vent pipe.

6. A bottle filling machinecomprising a tank, a filling tube having its upper end fixed inv the bottom wall of said tank, a vent pi e withinsaid filling tube, a chambered head fixed to the lower end of said vent pipe and communicating therewith and closing the lower end ol? said filling tube,releasablc locking means engaging said vent pipe and a stationary part carried by said tank for permanently maintaining 'said head in its closing position during use, said filling. tube having openings in its side adjacent the lower end of the tube", a sleeve slidablc on said tube and arranged to close said openings, a coiled spring surrounding said sleeve and said filling tube and arranged to hold said sleeve in its lowermost position, a bottle stopper carried by the lower end of said sleeve, and a buoyant ball within said chambered head arranged to be lifted by the rising liquid in the bottle into position close the lower end of said vent pipe for he pur vose described,

4. In a valve structure torbottle fillers,

the combination of a filling tube, means including a sleeve fitting slidably uponsaid tube for controllinr: the discl'iarge of liquid therefrom; a liquid-displacing body positioned below the point of discharge from said filling tube, said body being telescoped into the lower end or" said sleeve when the valveis closed; wherby when a bottle is the lower nd of said vent pipe and prevent moved'into 'en'gage'ment with thvalv'estrncany liquid from rising into 'said pipe. 10

ture to oTen t-he sam6,sa,id liquid dlsplaclng In testimon whereof I aflix my slgnaxure bodywil prbjected int'o th'e mouth of the innpresence 0 two witnesses.

6 bottle: thetyalve is opgn, a vent pipe HOMER O. FISHER.

within said filling tubef and, a buoyant Witnesses: imlvefmemberfilrranged to be lifted by the C. PAUL PARKER,

rising: liquidinthe bottle tO'posit-ively close GEORGE L. CHINDAHL. 

